1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air spoiler for an automotive vehicle, on which proper reinforcement members are molded integrally so as to increase attachment force of the air spoiler onto rear side surface of trunk lid of the automotive vehicle. Also, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an air spoiler for an automotive vehicle by air-blowing, where proper reinforcement members are molded integrally when air-blow molding the air spoiler.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As is well known, many kinds of air spoilers designed in harmony with specific exterior of automotive vehicle have been developed and widely used. The primary function of the air spoiler intended is for suppressing the automotive vehicle, being floating due to strong air current formed while running at high speed, toward road surface so as to increase driving stability and braking force of the automotive vehicle.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a typical air spoiler denoted by reference numeral 10 is disposed across the rear side, that is, trunk lid 14 of a vehicle 12. Conventionally, a plurality of attachment members 16, each having at least one securement screw 16a such as a T-bolt, are provided at the bottom surface of the air spoiler 10. The attachment members 16 serve to space the air spoiler 10 from the upper surface of the trunk lid 14 by a predetermined interval. The respective securement screws 16a for fitting the air spoiler 10 on the trunk lid 14 of the vehicle 12, are buried integrally in the corresponding attachment member 16 in the process of molding the air spoiler 10. Here, according to an exemplary process for manufacturing the prior art air spoiler, raw material, for example, thermoplastic resin from a source tank is passed through a rotary feeding screw via a hopper of the spoiler molding machine. At this time, the raw material is heated to be melted. Then, the melted raw material is passed through a head of the spoiler molding machine to be changed in cylindrical shape and supplied, in turn, between a core mold and a cavity mold which are open at present.
Referring now to FIG. 2, while the core mold is designed to form an upper part of the air spoiler 10, the cavity mold is to form a lower part including the attachment member 16 of the air spoiler 10, centering around a mold mating surface 18.
Consequently, when the cylindrical raw material has been supplied into the core and cavity molds via the head of the spoiler molding machine, the core and cavity molds are tightly closed. Then, an air cylinder of the spoiler molding machine moves forward and a plurality of blow pins of the spoiler molding machine form a plurality of air-blowing holes on the surface of the raw material supplied into the core and cavity molds in order to blow air through the air-blowing holes of the raw material for a predetermined period.
When the air blowing is completed, the air cylinder of the spoiler molding machine moves backward to its original position. Then, the core and cavity molds open slowly and a molded product, that is, a molded product of air spoiler is taken out by means of a product taking-out machine. The molded air spoiler is subjected to remove undesirable refuses, such as burr. Subsequently, an end-product, a desired air spoiler including attachment members formed integrally is obtained.
In such a conventional process for manufacturing the air spoiler, the respective attachment member 16 have the securement screws 16a such as a T-bolt buried integrally at the bottom surface of the air spoiler 10 so as to attach the air spoiler 10 onto the trunk lid 14 of the automotive vehicle 12.
When the raw material of the air spoiler is subjected to an air blowing stage, where the core mold is tightly closed with the cavity mold, in order to manufacture the aforementioned structure of the air spoiler 10, the raw material for molding the air spoiler 10 must be uniformly injected into the area where the attachment members 16 are to be formed on the cavity mold along the depth direction of the attachment members 16. However, in fact, during air-blowing process the raw material for molding the air spoiler 10 is injected irregularly into the attachment members 16 to be formed on the cavity mold. That is, undesirably, the raw material for molding the air spoiler 10 is gradually thinly injected into the area where the attachment members 16 are to be formed on the cavity mold as seen from a symmetric sectional view of FIG. 2.
If the thickness of the attachment members 16 is irregularly molded, durability of the area where the securement screws 16a are buried on the attachment members 16 is disadvantageously deteriorated. Accordingly, when the air spoiler 10 having the weakened area on the attachment member 16 is mounted on the surface of the trunk lid 14 of the automotive vehicle 12, the area of the attachment members 16 where the securement screws 16a are buried may be damaged or destroyed unexpectedly. Further, when the poor quality air spoiler 10 having the weakened attachment members 16 is mounted on the trunk lid 14 of the automotive vehicle 12, the stability of the automotive vehicle 12 is also deteriorated undesirably during running at high speed. Besides, it brings restriction on designing the molding process of the air spoiler 10.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide of an air spoiler for an automotive vehicle, on which separate reinforcement members are integrally molded around the area where the air spoiler is mounted onto the rear side surface of the automotive vehicle so as to assure the sufficient durability of the air spoiler when being mounted to the automotive vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an air spoiler for an automotive vehicle by disposing separate reinforcement members within an air spoiler forming mold, a cavity mold for example and injecting raw material such as thermoplastic resin into the reinforcement members.
In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an air spoiler to be fitted on the upper surface of the trunk lid of an automotive vehicle includes a plurality of separate reinforcement members, being disposed around the area where the air spoiler is attached onto the trunk lid of the automotive vehicle, and formed integrally together with the raw material injected to be an end-product.
Advantageously, each of the reinforcement members has an elliptical main body part and a trumpet-shaped flange part outwardly enlarged from the main body part. And, at least a securement means is buried on the bottom surface of the main body part of the corresponding reinforcement member. Besides, an engagement portion is formed at the periphery of the flange part of the reinforcement member.
According to the present invention, proper engagement reinforcing means for enhancing the engagement force of the reinforcement member to the raw material for forming the air spoiler is further provided inside the main body part of the reinforcement member. Here, preferably, an adhesive tape is employed as the engagement reinforcing means to be adhered in ring-shaped on the inside wall surface of the main body part of the reinforcement member. Alternatively, proper plastic primer may be employed to be injected into the main body part of the reinforcement member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an air spoiler for an automotive vehicle, comprising a step of positioning a plurality of separate reinforcement members onto the positions of the cavity mold corresponding to the area where the air spoiler is fitted on the trunk lid of the automotive vehicle; a step of injecting the raw material for manufacturing the air spoiler to the inside of the reinforcement member under the discharge of air remaining in the reinforcement member, and performing air-blowing process for air-blowing the raw material into the core and cavity molds mutually closed so as to form a first stage product of the air spoiler; and, a step of performing surface finishing process for the product of the air spoiler so as to obtain an end-product of the air spoiler.
Preferably, at the step of air-blowing the raw material of the air spoiler, an engagement portion of the reinforcement member is integrally molded with the raw material of the air spoiler, and the step of discharging air remaining in the reinforcement member is executed through air-venting apertures formed at the bottom surface of the reinforcement member. And at the step of air-blowing, the raw material is injected to integrally mold the flange portion of the reinforcement member and the air spoiler.
According to the present invention, an engagement reinforcing member is provided so as to assure the engagement force enhanced between the inside of the reinforcement member and the raw material of the air spoiler.
Moreover, the engagement reinforcing member is an adhesive tape which is adhered in ring-shape on the inside wall surface of the main body portion of the reinforcement member. Alternatively, the engagement reinforcing member is a predetermined plastic primer which is injected to the inside of the main body portion of the reinforcement member.
The above objects and features of the present invention will become manifest to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the drawings.